By: Kenneth M. Favrot, C.E. Byrd Alumni Association President

100 years.  To children, that’s an incomprehensible measure of time.  To adults, it’s a hard span of time to describe.  100 years takes you from the Roaring ‘20s to social media.  It takes you from travel by boat and train to global travel by jet.  100 years takes you from radio to TV, from pen and paper to AI.  In fact, many would say that a day from the year 1925 is as different from a day in the year 2025 as night is from day.  But I say, if you look close enough, you see similarities.  You can find links from the past that created the present.  It’s in the towering oak trees along the streets of South Highlands, the historic halls of the Strand Theatre, it’s in the world-famous “Muffy” at Fertitta’s, the putting greens at Querbes, and in a high school that opened its door on the corner of Line Avenue and Kings Highway.  A high school that would grow and prosper, stumble and get back up.  A high school that would grow into a giant.  In 1925, C.E. Byrd High School put down its roots, and the City of Byrd was born.

You would be hard-pressed to talk to anyone with connections to Shreveport, who hasn’t heard of Byrd.  They either went to Byrd or knew someone who did.  Byrd isn’t just another high school; it is a pillar of the community.  A landmark.  And calling yourself a Jacket, isn’t just a title.  It’s an honor.  There is a pride in Byrd that wasn’t born from fame or prestige.  No, the pride in Byrd extends past race, circumstance, and privilege.  It’s the notion that it doesn’t matter where you come from.  All that matters is the legacy you leave along the way.  How you leave something better than you found it, so that it can continue to change lives long after you are gone.  To be a Jacket means you understand what it means to be a part of something bigger than yourself.  And THAT is something to be proud of.

The road to greatness is never easy, and Byrd was not exempt from that struggle.  Few people realize that Byrd once came dangerously close to closing its doors.  The construction of new schools—Captain Shreve, Southwood, Woodlawn, and Huntington—led to declining enrollment, and years of neglect made it difficult for Caddo Parish to justify investing in repairs. It was one of the greatest challenges in the school’s history.  Determined to keep this legacy alive, alumni, parents, and administrators worked tirelessly to save Byrd in the early 80s, ultimately establishing the Math/Science Magnet Program, which still thrives today. The school was officially saved—but it truly began to flourish again in 1987, when then-Principal Lynne Fitzgerald and a dedicated team of alumni and parents hosted the first Ultimate Reunion.  More than 8,000 people attended, marking the beginning of a renewed era of school spirit.

So, what does 100 years mean to Byrd?  It means fighting to preserve a piece of Shreveport, a piece of “The City”, that is worth so much.  It means both teaching lessons and learning lessons.  That sometimes you make mistakes, but it’s what you learn from those mistakes that matters.  That change is important.  And remembering the past is too.  That people are capable of great things, but together they are unstoppable.  That friendships are precious and essential.  That a place, and the people in it, can shape you in ways you never dreamed.  That dreams can become realities and change lives.  

Please join us for the Centennial Weekend, June 5th-7th, as we celebrate The City of Byrd.  We invite everyone—alumni, current students, parents, faculty, and the greater community—to join us as we pay tribute to Byrd’s incredible legacy and look forward to the next 100 years.  The Centennial is more than just a party, it’s a promise.  A promise to Jackets, both old and new, to always honor the past while planning for the future. A promise to remember where we’ve been and build momentum for what’s to come.  But most importantly, it’s a promise to preserve for the next generation what’s always deep within our hearts, The Purple and the Gold.